Outside frame tent



Feb. 2, 1965 J. c. PORTER 3,168,101

OUTSIDE FRAME TENT Filed Dec. 16, 1960 JAMES c. RTE/Q,

7 HTTORA/EKS United States Patent Ofiice 3,168,101 Patented Feb. 2, 1965 3,168,103. OUTSIDE FRAME TENT James (I. Rorter, New Haven, Mo., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Hawthorn Curnpany Eivision of Kellwood Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 16, 196i), Ser. No. 76,230 6 Claims. (til. 135- 1) The present invention relates to an outside frame tent. Generally speaking, this type of tent consists of a tent supporting frame that can be set up in such a manner that the tent can be suspended from the framework rather than to be surmounted thereon.

Outside frame tents have been known heretofore. However, the present tent is designed to have notable advantages over previously known outside frame tents.

This tent comprises two principal components, namely, a self-supporting outside frame that can be set up independcntly of the tent itself, and a collapsible tent enclosure, usually made of fabric of some kind. The outside frame includes an assembly of crossing upright mem bers, each of a size to extend upwardly along the side of the tent from the ground, and thence inwardly and upwardly over the top of the tent, to an apex. Connecting means joins the uprights at the apex of the tent. As will be understood, more of such cross-members can be used for polygonal tents other than the four-sided tent illustrated.

When the frame is set up with its feet secured into, or on, the ground, and the tent bottom is likewise secured to the ground, the tent is hung from the frame in such a manner that its sides are taut. The frame is quite rigid and twistresistant, but is designed to yield sumciently to accommodate wind stresses, and shape changes of the tent.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide a readily portable, outside-frame tent that is well-supported and strong, rather than light and yieldable. Another object is to provide a tent that, although strong, nevertheless can yield to stresses occurring during its use. And a further object is to provide such a tent that is easily collapsible into a compact package, and easily set up, despite being of strong construction.

Other objects will appear from the description to follow.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric View of the tent assembled in upright position;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the tent in assembled upright position;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the connecting means for the tops of the uprights;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary partial section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 through the connecting means;

FIGURE 5 is a partial broken-away section through a typical one of the uprights of the frame and including the side and the cave portion thereof;

FIGURE 6 is a view of one arrangement for securing the frame and the tent at the ground level;

FIGURE 7 is a view of another arrangement for securing the frame and the tent at the ground level;

FIGURE 8 is a third view of a way of securing the tent and the frame at the ground level;

FIGURE 9 is a view of an alternate attaching arrangement for the top connecting means of the frame; and

FlGURE 10 is a View of a modification of a means for securing two elements of the frame together in telescopic arrangement.

Generally speaking, the tent structure comprises a frame and a tent 16 suspended from the frame. The

invention is illustrated with a four-sided umbrella tent, and, as will appear, this presents the simplest cmbodiment of the frame and the tent. However, other similar tents of a similar shape may be used and may embody many of the features hereof.

Considering first the tent frame 15, it will be seen that it comprises four upright frame elements 17 that rise from the ground alongside and across the top of the tent. The frame elements 17 are identical in construction and the detailed description of one will suffice for all.

The frame element 17 comprises a side upright 26 that is of tubular construction and which may be in more than one separable section. As illustrated in FIGURE 5, the upright 26 includes a penetrating end 21 that has a point on it so that it may be readily forced into the ground. However, the upright 20 may have a blunt end and rest on the ground, held in position by friction due to weight of the complete assembly. This is not as desirable, or as secure. The end 21 is inserted into the lower end of a tubular element 22 and held by a rivet 23 or other appropriate means. For convenience of packing, the tube 23 has a limited length and is joined to an upper tube 25. In the illustration, the tube 25 has a plug 26 secured into it by a rivet 27 or the like. The plug element 25 can telescope into the top of the tubular member 20 so that these are secured rigidly together in an align ment but may be separated by being pulled apart axially. The upper end of the tube 25 is attached to the lower end of a bent tube 30. The tube 3% has a plug 31 secured to it by a rivet or the like 32, which plug 31 can be forced into the top of the tube 25 for removably securing these elements together.

The four uprights 17 are attached to a top connecting means 35 at the apex of the frame. The connecting means, or upper short frame member 35, is shown particularly in FIGURES 3 and 4. It consists generally of an upper tube 36 and a lower tube 37 that are, for a foursided tent, about apart. The two tubes have generally the same configuration, being bent downwardly at their opposite ends as illustrated at 38 in FIGURE 4. This figure also shows a circular plug 39 secured into the open end of the tube 355 by means such as the rivet 40. The plugs 39 are telescoped with the upper tubes 34} of the uprights 17,

It will be seen that tube 37 crosses under the tube 36. It is desirable that the two tubes be held reasonably close together and that they resist most twisting movements. FIGURE 4 shows a looped U-bolt 42 having a loop 43 at its lower end and having its upper end passing around the tube 3'7 and through the tube 36. They are secured to the top of the latter by nuts 44 that can be drawn up to hold the tubes 36 and 37 as close together as is desired. The bolt 42 embraces the tube 37 with sufficient space to permit some angular movements between the crossing tubes. An alternate construction is illustrated in FIGURE 9, with an I-bolt 43 having a loop 49 at its lower end. The l-bolt passes through both tubes 36 and 37 and has a nut 50 at its top. It can be drawn up to tighten the elements together as desired.

FIGURE 10 illustrates an alternate means for securing the tubular part together. It is illustrated in connection with the parts that may correspond with any of the tubular elements. In this case, the member 25 has a freely rotatable locking disk 6%} eccentrically and freely rotatably mounted on its lower end on a pin 61. When the disk is inserted into the open end of the tube 28 and pushed downwardly until the lower end of the tube 25' is also contained within the tube 29', a slight twisting of the tube will cause a complete lock to be effected.

The tent 16 is illustrated as being of the type commonly called an umbrella tent. It has a plurality of side panels 52 providing sides of a frustum of a pyramid and terininating in caves 53. The eaves receive the bottom edges of top pyramidal panels 54. The tent preferably has a bottom Wall 56 (FIG. .6). It should have 'pro- 'jecting ears 57 by means of which the lower corners may be secured to the ground as will appear.

The frame 15 is self-supporting, and the tent 16 is adapted to be hung at its'eavesand at its apex from the frame. Accordingly, the bend in the lower part of the tubular member 30 occurs just a bit above the cave line 53. Thereat there are I-bolts 63, or the like, passing through the tubular member and secured by nuts 64.v

The I-bolts at their other end have loops or eyes 65 that can receive hooks 66. The hooks in turn are connected to the corners of the tent eaves by cords 67. These cords preferably are tie-cords that may be drawn up as tightly as desired, but they may also be cords or links of fixed length with appropriate loops to be engaged over the hooks 66. The apex of the tent is hung to the eye 43 or 49 of a U-bolt 42 or 48, which has a hook 70 depending from it to receive a tie 71 secured to the apex of the tent. 1

An alternate method of attachment would be to attach the tie-cords 67 and 71 directly to open loops or eyes in I-bolts 63 and U-bolts 42 or 48.

Assembly and use assembled if desired, or, in the caseof FIGURE 9, its.

bolt can beloosened and the tubes turned into alignment.

To assemble the frame, the tubular parts are secured together in the evident manner, giving a four-sided, selfsupporting, open frame structure. This frame structure 15 is secured in position on the ground by causing the tips 21 to be forced slightly into the ground as shown in FIGURE 7. On the other hand, this penetration of the tip 21 into the ground may be delayedif the arrangements of FIGURES 6 and 8 are to be used, or, if blunt ends are used, the frame structure rests in position by friction aided by a slight penetration due to weight of the assembly.

With the frame set up and the nuts 44 or SOtightened,

a strong, relatively rigid, frame structure is provided. For example, the uprights can be made of'aluminum tubing of one inch outside diameter and about onetenth inch wall thickness, for a tent of four ten foot sides. After the frame is assembled, the tent 16 is unrolled. Its bottom can be extended and the corners thereof secured to the ground. One method would be' to use separate stakes 73, driven through the ears 57 to secure the corners firmly in place, with the floor 56 (where it is present), smooth and taut.

Then the sides of the tent 16 are elevated, the cave line ties 67 are secured to the hooks 66 or 65, so as to depend slightly therefrom, and the apex tie 71 secured to the hook 70 or 43. These ties 67 and 71 are drawn tight. The drawing of opposite ties 67 tight puts an even load on the frame and causes the pyramidal section of the tent to be taut all around, and drawing up the tie 71 makes the top taut.

ties for the tent 16 are released from the frame, the frame is lifted off the cars 57, and the frame elements are dis assembled so that the Whole may be packed away.

Among the features of the present invention are that the frame is at least substantially independent of the tent itself and can be separately set up. It is, therefore, of a design, strength and rigidity that can be independent of the tent. On the other hand, it can be readily disassembled. The structure can be used on a tent that may not have a tent floor, althouglrit is preferable that it have one. In the event there is uneven shrinkage of the fabric of'the tent or in the event there are uneven wind forces or the like, a certain amount of yield of the frame, and of: twisting of the frame elements about a vertical axis at their apex is permitted to accommodate such forces. This is particularly true with the alternate construction of FIGURE 9. This alternate construction also has the advantage that in packaging the 'two components of the upper short frame member can be swiveled together in side by side arrangement for ease of packaging.

It 'will be understood that variations of details of the frame and tent construction can be made without departing from the invention hereof.

What isclaimed is: I

'1 An outside frame tent construction, comprising: a self-supporting frame and a collapsible tent suspended therefrom; the tent having walls forming an enclosure with an apex; the frame comprising a plurality of U- shaped frame members, each comprising two elongated rod-like upright legs adapted to engage with the ground at their lower ends at spaced points and a rod-like, elongated frame top connector forming a continuation of the upright legs and extending across from one to the other to connect them together at their upper ends, whereby each elongated, rod-like frame member may extend from other and their upright legs projecting outwardly and.

downwardly for engagement on the ground, the means comprising clamping connecting means joining the top connectors at their crossing, clamping them resistingly against twisting to alter theiriangular relationship but yieldable to enable their angularrelation to change in As noted, in some instances the frame itself may be 7 response to wind forces or irrengular shaping of the tent, the frame uprights being of substantially rigid but slightly yieldable material; the frame being of a size to embrace 'the tent and having its top' above the top; of the tent;

and means to hang the tent from the frame and to dispose the lower part of the tent on the ground.

2. The tent construction of claim 1, wherein the connecting means at the top of the frame comprises a releasable connecting means adapted to be tightened to hold the elongated members in preset angular relationship, but releasable to permit theangular' relationship to be changed. i

3. The tent construction of claim'l, wherein the elongated members comprise at least two elongated members crossing each other at the apex in superposed relationship; and the connecting means comprises a releastable screw clamping device at the apex.

4. The construction of claim 1, wherein the uprights are shaped/0 penetrate the ground, and means at the 7 bottom of the tent to secure the bottom to the ground.

5. The construction of claim 1, wherein there are quickly-separable means to connect the upright legs with the top'connectors; each top connector being disposed atan angle to its uprights and having an angular midportion to provide the frame with a pyramidal top; the tent having a polygonal lower portion, a pyramidal top and eaves; and means to connect the eaves of the tent with the frame, said means drawing the tent eaves outwardly and holding them up.

6. An outside frame tent, comprising a frame and a tent enclosure of fabric or like material: the frame being adapted to be self-supporting independently of the enclosure; the frame having crossed frame members, each frame member consisting of opposite frame uprights adapted to engage the ground and to extend upwardly therefrom, and a frame top member joining the upper ends of the two uprights to make each frame member generally U-shaped, each U-shaped frame member being of predetermined substantially but not unyieldably rigid shape with the ends of its two uprights engageable with the ground and extending continuously from the ground along one upright, along one top member, and along the other upright to the ground; the frame members being disposed at angles to each other with one frame top member crossing beneath another, and the crossed top members radiating downwardly and outwardly from their point of crossing, clamping means securing the frame top members together at their point of crossing, said means normally maintaining them at fixed angles to each other but resistingly permitting them to yield angularly to accommodate variations in tent shape in use;

the tent enclosure comprising side walls and a pyramidal top, joining the side walls in eaves, the size of the en closure being less than the space within the frame; means epending from the apex of the frame at the crossing of the frame tops where they are joined by the means i that secures them tog-ether, connected to the apex of the tent enclosure to hold the top of the enclosure and draw the tent enclosure up vertically to become taut; means adjacent the eaves to connect the frame and the eaves of the enclosure and draw them laterally outward toward the frame and to hold them upwardly; the frame being of rigid but yieldable material so that it forms a self-supporting substantially rigid structure without the tent enclosure, and that normally holds its pre-set shape when stressed by the tent enclosure when the tent enclosure is stretched taut within the frame, but being of components of sufficiently small cross section for their material that the components are somewhat flexible, so that such flexiblity along with the resistingly yieldable means connecting the crossing of the frame tops, permits the enclosure to vary in shape under shrinkage and Windage.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 659,114 10/00 Voorhies 1355 1,048,704 12/12 King 18936 1,100,310 6/14 Lazarus 1353 1,846,305 2/32 Brooks 1358 2,375,503 5/45 Suarez 135-8 2,796,877 6/57 Berseth 1351 2,818,875 1/58 Denn 1353 2,865,385 12/58 Crafts 1351 2,976,876 3/61 Lonnqvist 1353 FOREIGN PATENTS 563,761 7/58 Belgium. 1,241,963 8/60 France.

503,157 12/54 Italy.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, DONLEY J. STOCKING,

Examiners. 

1. AN OUTSIDE FRAME TENT CONSTRUCTION, COMPRISING: A SELF-SUPPORTING FRAME AND A COLLAPSIBLE TENT SUSPENDED THEREFROM; THE TENT HAVING WALLS FORMING AN ENCLOSURE WITH AN APEX; THE FRAME COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF USHAPED FRAME MEMBERS, EACH COMPRISING TWO ELONGATED ROD-LIKE UPRIGHT LEGS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE WITH THE GROUND AT THEIR LOWER SPACED POINTS AND ROLL-LIKE, ELONGATED FRAME TOP CONNECTION FORMING A CONTINUATION OF THE UPRIGHT LEGS AND EXTENDING ACROSS FROM ONE TO OTHER TO CONNECT THEM TOGETHER AT THEIR UPPER ENDS, WHEREBY EACH ELONGATED, ROD-LIKE FRAME MEMBER MAY EXTEND FROM A FIRST POINT ON THE GROUND UPWARDLY, THEN OVER THE DOWN TO THE GROUND AT A SECOND POINT SPACED FROM THE FIRST, THE U-SHAPED FRAME MEMBERS BEING DISPOSED AT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER WITH THEIR ELONGATED, ROD-LIKE TOP CONNECTORS IN CROSSING RELATIONSHIP, AND MEANS SECURING THE FRAME MEMBERS TOGETHER WITH THEIR TOP CONNECTORS IN RADIATING RELATIONSHIP AT PREDETERMINED ANGLES TO EACH OTHER AND THEIR UPRIGHT LEGS PROJECTION OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FOR ENGAGEMENT ON THE GROUND, THE MEANS COMPRISING CLAMPING CONNECTING MEANS JOINING THE TOP CONNECTORS AT THEIR CROSSING, CLAMPING THEN RESISTINGLY AGAINST TWISTING TO ALTER THEIR ANGULAR RELATION BUT YIELDABLE TO ENABLE THEIR ANGULAR RELATION TO CHANGE IN RESPONSE TO WIND FORCES OR IRRENGULAR SHAPING OF THE TENT, THE FRAME UPRIGHTS BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID BUT SLIGHTLY YIELDABLE MATERIAL; THE FRAME BEING OF A SIZE TO EMBRACE THE TENT AND HAVING ITS TOP ABOVE THE TOP OF THE TENT; AND MEANS TO HANG THE TENT FROM THE FRAME AND TO DISPOSE THE LOWER PART OF THE TENT ON THE GROUND. 